I paused with the bottle in my hand, unsure of what to do. Blue made the decision for me when she reached for it and pulled the nipple to her mouth.
“If it makes you feel any better, I know CPR and the Heimlich maneuver, or whatever it’s called now, though I’ve never had to actually perform either one,” I told him, keeping my eyes on Blue as she drank her bottle with fervor.
“I hope you never do,” he murmured, and by his tone, I knew he was speaking from experience. Though, I couldn’t help but wonder if he was the one on the giving or receiving end.
Before I could ask, Blue finished her bottle and looked at me expectantly. “Here’s the deal, little missy. I’ll burp you if you promise not to spray milk down my back. Or maybe we should let Daddy do it.”
As if she understood my words and was playing along, Blue reached for me and pulled herself impossibly closer. “Okey dokey, I’m trusting you here, so don’t let me down.” After a few pats on her back, Blue let out the cutest little burb followed by a contented sigh. “That’s my girl!” I cheered, careful not to jostle her too much.
“Yoo-hoo!” Frankie called from the other side of the kitchen window. I flinched, Blue started crying, and suddenly there were only two panes of glass separating Bronze’s gun from Frankie’s forehead.
To her credit, Frankie didn’t so much as bat an eyelash. Instead, her eyes crossed as she tried to study the weapon without moving. “That’s a pretty one. Can I touch it when it’s not pointed at me?”
“For fuck’s sake, Frankie! I could’ve killed you in front of Sloane and my daughter. How in the hell did you get past the gate without us knowing?”
She completely ignored everything he said after she heard the word baby. “There’s a baby in there. Let me in! Let me in! Let me in!” Her outburst startled Brat and caused him to start squealing. And let me tell you, when a pig starts squealing in fear, there’s no stopping it.
Even with the baby crying and the pig practically screaming, I couldn’t help but smile at Frankie’s arrival because it meant we were all safe.
The week passed much faster than I expected. Frankie and I were even more productive than usual, which was quite a surprise to me since I had my boyfriend and his baby in my house.
I’m not sure what I was expecting, but he never once asked me to watch Blue. Not even for a few minutes while he took a shower or used the bathroom. During the day, she stayed with him while he worked out in the gym located in the main house. Meanwhile, Frankie and I made use of my home office, the kitchen, and the upstairs balcony. But, we spent the most time working by the pool.
Frankie knew the water had always been a source of inspiration for me, and since I was having trouble finding the right words for my work in progress, she suggested working by the pool, which turned into working in the pool after I tossed her a waterproof case for her tablet.
I don’t know how much time had passed when a deep laugh pulled me from my fictional world. Raising my sunglasses, I blinked up to find Bronze snapping photos with his phone. “What are you doing?” I shrieked and started frantically paddling to turn my pool float away from him.
He continued to laugh hysterically. “You and Frankie have your noses glued to tablets while floating around on a giant inflatable cloud, complete with a rainbow arching over it, and you expect me not to take pictures?”
That’s when Brat made his presence known and started swimming for the sausage. “Oh, fuck, I didn’t see the little ham hock,” he groaned and took a few steps back. “Is he supposed to be in there?”
“Pigs love to swim, and it’s safe for him because it’s a saltwater pool,” Frankie explained.
Bronze watched warily as Brat busted his chops to get to him. “Can he get out on his own?”
Frankie clutched her stomach and fell over laughing, almost capsizing our cloud. “He hasn’t been in your pool before, has he?”
“No, I haven’t,” Bronze huffed. “Why?”
Frankie pointed and managed to get the words out right before Brat made his exit. “It’s a walk-in. As soon as his hooves touch the bottom, you better run.”